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Transcript of The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2007
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8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2007
1/24
Quidditch flies
into colleges
>> PAGE 9
Findthe
ultimategift
>>PAGE10
BADTO
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Profes
sorc
reates
forens
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GE5
fromSiriustoeBooks
Hurst hiresnew campus
ministry head
Lakers split
with No. 1
Wildcats
>> PAGE 22
Me d
The
>> PAGE 4
DEC. 12 No. 13
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The Office of AcademicAffairs (OAA) is spearheading a
new program to make sure thatthe freshman class of 2011 has allthe resources crucial to academic
success at its fingertips.
Incoming freshmen oftenhave a hard time adjusting to the
college lifestyle socially, academi-cally and even athletically.
In order to address the
problem of retention withinfreshmen classes, OAA hasenlisted the help of academic
support graduate assistantBethany Krowsoski.
Learning Styles Coordina-
tor Linda Linville worked withOAA and Krowsoski to create aprogram that would cover all the
bases that Fresh Start or a Resi-dent Assistant may miss. She canalso be an outlet for freshmen
when they feel uncomfortabletalking to their RAs.
Its really important that stu-
dents separate me from their RA.I dont have any hand in the dis-
cipline and I dont write studentsup. I want anyone and everyoneto be able to come to me withtheir questions, no matter how
big or small, Linville said. The program also makes
Krowsoski available to freshmen
almost any time of day. She canbe contacted through her e-mailat [email protected] or
through an instant message; herscreen name is mckrow918.
Additionally Krowsoski rotates
to a different freshmen residencehall Sunday through Wednesday.Sunday nights from 8 p.m. to 10
p.m. she is in Baldwin Hall andMonday nights from 10 p.m.to 11 p.m. she is in Egan Hall.
Tuesday nights she is in McAuleyHall from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and
on Tuesday nights she is availablein the 200 Suites from 7:30 p.m.
to 10:30 p.m.Krowsoskis main goal is to be
a helping hand.
Her job is to makes sure that while freshmen adjust to theirnew lifestyles they also keep up
with their school work as theybalance the social and athleticaspects of college.
She will answer questions
about registration, classes, pro-fessors, majors, clubs, inter-
net access and anything aboutMercyhurst for which she canprovide help.
As a Mercyhurst alumnaKrowsoski knows a lot about thecampus. However in the event
she cannot answer a questionshe can always direct students tosomeone who can.
Just being a student here forfour years has really been the big-gest help as far as job experience
goes, she said. While the program is still
new, after fall term Krowsoski
began to see more studentseach night.
All the students that didnt
quite live up to their academicpotential in the fall are placed on
Academic Probation so when wegot back from break I becamea lot more busy with studentswho really wanted my help,
she said.Students on Academic Pro-
bation are at the highest risk
for dropping out, failing out ortransferring to another school,she explained, and the program
aims to address these problems
of retention.Krowsoski said that in most
cases it is the time managementskills that the students seemto lack.
Dorm life can be hectic andsometimes students get caughtup in all the fun and forget about
the work, she said.Krowsoski is available to
help focus students and can
assist them in creating a plan
that makes sure their time isspent wisely.
The freshmen are not theonly students who will receiveKrowsoskis help. As the pro-gram develops her services are
being extended to the sportsteams as well.
Mercyhurst student athletes
have demanding schedules andmay need a little extra helpmanaging their time. Krowsoski
will work with the teams duringtheir study halls to make surethey are making the best use of
their time.I have been asked to help out
at the football study tables to give
the players some direction if theyneed it, she said.
I f t h e p r og r a m g r ow s
l ike expected , Krowsoskicould become very busy helping
students.I would love to have other
people in on it. It would be goodfor the program and good for
me so I could bounce ideas offsomeone. I cant be everywhereat once and I only get to see eachof the freshmen residence halls
once a week, she said.Freshmen seem to be catch-
ing on to Krowsoski and
the program.I have seen her before. She
actually came and talked to us
during one of our floor meetings.She seemed like someone I couldgo to if I was really stuck on
something or needed some help,said freshman Josh Downing.
I know about Bethany. Now
do I go to her for help? No, saidfreshman Adam Yeany. I thinkshe could be very helpful if I
would just ask her for her help,but I have not found the need to
do that yet.S o m e f r e s h m e n a r e
still unsure.I think shes good to have
around but I didnt know she was here, explained freshmanJenny Breitenbach.
Krowsoski wants students to
know what resources they have attheir fingertips when they cometo her but more importantly that
she is really there for them.One of the most important
things I want students to know
is that no one should be embar-rassed or afraid to come to mefor help because even if youre
just homesick or having a hardtime adjusting, youre not aloneand I have been there too. I
can help.Freshman Alana Ortega finds
relief in Krowsoski.
Its good to know shes there.Its a comfort to know there is
someone we can go to if we needto, she said.
By Amanda ValauriNews editor
NEWSPAGE 2 Dec. 12, 2007
Academic support graduate assistant Bethany Krowsoski works to answer any question
freshman students could have from registration to life in Erie.
Scoot Williams photo
No freshman left behind
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PAGE 3NEWSDec. 12, 2007
Time is flying by and students
may not notice when May gradu-
ation comes along.
With graduat ion comes
ceremonies, parties and, of
course, senior gifts.
The senior gifts are annual
donations from the seniors to thecollege to leave a legacy.
Senior Martin Wallenhorst
is the chair of the Senior Gift
Steering Committee in charge
of choosing, promoting and
organizing the senior gift and
senior activities.
Wallenhorst and six other
members are in charge of the
entire project.
The committee narrowed its
choices down to two gifts: a fire
pit and a multi-seasonal 24-hour
study room.
Wallenhorst said the fire pit
would serve as a sitting area or
as an outside classroom.
He said it would be a great
place for pep rallies, games or
just a nice place for anyone
who wants to hang out arounda fire.
The committee considered
three locations for the pit. The
first is in the apple orchard, the
second is Munson plaza and the
third is near Alumni Park.
Wallenhorst said the fire pit
would cost an estimated $15,000
to $19,000.
The multi-seasonal 24-hour
study room would be attached
to the library and it would cost
around $35,000.
We would like to make it open
to students for 24 hours but we
dont know if it would be pos-
sible, said Wallenhorst.
Narvan Shorish personally
prefers the fire pit.
Ill donate as much as I can,
she said.S e n i o r C h r i s W a h e i b i
disagrees with Shorish saying,
I think the lounge room
sounds better.
The committee presented the
two gift ideas to Mercyhurst
College President Dr. Thomas
Gamble, and currently awaits a
final decision.
In the meantime, the com-
mittee is in the process of
choosing a separate school
committee chairs to assist
in fundraising.
These committee members
are responsible for fundraising
within their individual academic
schools, said Wallenhorst.
Each school finds its own
way of raising as much money
as possible, but all the infor-mation is ultimately fed back
to the steering committee
to ensure the process is
running smoothly.
The fundraisers, said Wallen-
horst, involve t-shirt sales and
donation collections, which will
begin in January.
Wallenhorst said the commit-
tee is also looking into the idea
of allowing for online donations
by creating a Web site.
He also said most of the gift
funding comes from the senior
class itself.
Seniors housing deposits,
which are refunded to every
student after the completion of
their senior year, are usually the
biggest donations.
Sometimes though, the do-nations alone are not enough,
in which case the school will
chip in.
For example, last years mul-
tipurpose court cost around
$50,000 and the senior class
raised roughly $17,000, so
the college paid for the rest,
Wallenhorst said.
By Javiera CubillosContributing writer
Senior class gift is in the works
Womens vote is louder than mens
The presidential elections
have become the topic of
conversation all across the
country. But who is talkingthe loudest?
According to The Center for
American Women and Politics
(CAWP) Web site, women have
surpassed men when it comes
to voting.
Although women were grant-
ed the right to vote in 1920, men
would still outvote women for
years to come.
This trend has been slowly
changing as voting becomes
more significant to women.
Senior Sarah Gerrard said she
feels strongly about the voting.
Women had to fight for their
right to vote therefore they might
feel that it is more important to
vote, said Gerrard.
While this may or may not
be true, the dynamic of society
has been shifting away from the
typical nuclear family unit and,
as a result, women are more in-
dependent and more empowered
than ever before.
Now the election of govern-
ment officials affects women just
as much as it does men.
In earlier decades, it was notimperative that women take part
in elections or become govern-
ment officials because they could
rely on their male counterparts to
make those decisions.
With the divorce rate on the
rise there are more single women
and single mothers in the United
States and they are turning out on
Election Day.
The numbers are in the mil-
lions. According to CAWP in
2000, 7.8 million more women
voted than men and that number
increased to 8.8 million in 2004.
Junior Randy Tucker was sur-
prised to find that women were
outvoting men.
Its kind of shocking that that
many more women vote than
men, he said.
Gerrard , however , was
not stunned.
I do not find it surprising
that women vote more than
men because women have a lot
invested in government polices
for example education for their
children, minimum wage, etc.,
said Gerrard.CAWP has been observ-
ing womens attitudes on
public policy.
Their findings show women
are: more likely to favor a more
activist role for government,
more often opposed to military
intervention in other countries,
more supportive of programs
to guarantee quality health care
and meet basic needs, more sup-
portive of restrictions on firearms
and more supportive of affirma-
tive action and efforts to achieve
racial equality.
The impact women have on
the vote has resulted in the cre-
ation of their own demographic.
According to CAWP, women
outvoted men in every racial and
ethnic group in 2004.
Another reason women vote
more than men is because more
women are registered to vote
than men.
This fact rings true as 54 per-
cent of the people who voted in
the 2004 election were women,
according to CAWP.
I think this shows more con-cern on the part of women as to
whats going on in our country,
said senior Joe Maurici. The
real issue isnt whos more likely
to vote its why dont people vote
seeing as presidential elections get
less than half of the population
turning out to vote.
With Senator Hilary Clinton
running for president in 2008,
the role of the women vote
could change.
I feel that voting for men is
a lot easier because there have
only been male candidates. Now
I feel that women will vote more
because there is a woman candi-
date in the running, said junior
Steven Faber about the coming
presidential election.
Senior Stephanie Prohaska
agrees with Faber.
I think a woman running will
affect the election because its go-
ing to make a lot of women who
havent voted in the past want to,
said Prohaska. I also think there
are a lot of uneducated people
out there that will vote for her just
because she is a woman.Senior Stephanie Wilkens sees
it differently.
I think its great that women
vote more because we had to
earn the right and we got an
amendment out of it and we are
taking advantage of it but, I dont
really think its going to affect
the election with a woman
running though.
Tucker is curious as to how
the events of the election will
pan out.
I think it will be interesting
to see if more guys vote because
they dont want to see a woman
president, he said.
Voting is the most important
part a democracy. It is clear
that womens voices are be-
ing heard when it comes to
Election Day.
By Amanda ValauriNews editor
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PAGE 4 NEWS
It will take a lot to fill Sr. Geri
Rosinskis shoes but Greg Baker,
Mercyhurst Colleges new direc-
tor of campus ministry, said
he is ready to lead under a new
spiritual wing.
It did not really hit me until
I saw the students, said Baker.They were extremely gracious
and I consider it a real privilege
to follow Sr. Geris footsteps.
Mercyhurst College Chaplin
Father Jim Piszker says Baker was
chosen because of his intense
background.
An Erie native, Baker com-
pleted his undergraduate at
Gannon University in liberal
studies. He then went on to grad-
uate school at St. Bonaventure
where he majored in theology.
Baker has done extensive
volunteer work for the Jesuit
Volunteer Core, Camp Notre
Dame in Fairview, Pa. and for a
parish youth ministry. His most
recent position was Director of
Youth and Young Adult for theCatholic Diocese of Erie.
He will bring a wealth of
experience to the position and we
look forward to have him here,
said Piszker.
Baker always dreamt of having
a career in campus ministry.
I like the idea of doing min-
istry in a college atmosphere,
he said. Students and I can talk
about the tough issues, debate
respectfully and deepen faith and
spirituality growth.
Baker said Mercyhurst College
was a great fit for him and he
appreciates what students do for
each other and for him.
My first image of this place
was a home. Now it is a home
that is slowly becoming mine.Baker does not only appreci-
ate what the students have done
for him so far, but his family
as well.
Baker is married to his wife of
five years, Jennifer and has a one
year old son, Eli.
Jen has been extremely sup-
portive throughout this whole
process, he said.
Baker said he remembers driv-
ing home at the end of the first
week, being overwhelmed and
excited at the same time.
I am very grateful to know
I can work, go home and eat
dinner with my family and read
a book to my son at night before
he goes to bed, he added.
When students vis it thecampus ministry Baker says his
door is always open.
No task is more important
than a student who wants me to
listen, he said.
Sophomore Patrick Campbell
said Baker will fulfill the role of
campus minister and make sure
everyone is on the same page.
The stronger the campus
ministry, the more we can have
a positive influence on the col-
lege, Campbell said.
Junior Heather Schwager
agreed.
He is very excited to work
with everyone and improve stu-
dent relationships, Schwager
said.
Baker said the amount ofstudent leadership at Mercyhurst
College is really impressive and
they take full ownership of what
they do.
He said he wanted to have a
career where he could have direct
contact with students and share
core values and he found it.
By Amy ZielinskiNews editor
Campus ministry gets new direction
Education departmentreceives honors award
Recently the MercyhurstCollege chapter of Kappa
Delta Pi was honored with
an award.
This international educa-
tion honor society represented
i t s d e p a r t m e n t i n t h e
biannual convocation in Louis-
ville, Ky.
Mercyhurst students came
home with more than just new
education tools.Seniors Ashley Gabriel, Jillian
Perfetti and graduate student Amy
Todd returned to Mercyhurst
with the award for Professional
Development.
Me r c y h u r s t s t o o d o u t
among the 286 chapters rep-
resented at the convocation and
received the award.
Mercyhurst students got
to take part in the Teaching
and Learning Expo, where
they provided workshops
on educational issues for
fellow education students and
professionals. The sponsorship of the
Colloquium of Educational
Research and Teaching gave
students the opportunity to
present research conducted
throughout their student teach-
ing experience.
Gabriel explained the applica-
tion for the award.
We hosted a teaching and
learning expo of workshopsfor pre-service and professional
teachers where participants
could choose their workshops,
she said.
There was also a panel of
KDP Alumni who were teaching
in the area that presented to the
students about their experiences
in the classroom during their
first year.
Perfetti said they attended
the conference to receive the
award and to gather infor-
mation on how to improve
the Mercyhurst education
program and the KDP honorssociety chapter.
KDP focuses on professional
development as well as service
learning and giving back to
the community.
Senior Rachel Phillips said it
is great to see Mercyhurst rep-
resented positively among so
many other schools across the
nation
This award was not only thefirst time KDP presented this
honor to any of its chapters but
it was also the first time Mer-
cyhursts education department
received such an award.
The Mercyhurst chapter of
KDP was inaugurated in Septem-
ber 2005. Although it is young,
this award is only a taste of what
is to come for the promising
honor society.
By Angela PhillipsContributing writer
Dec. 12, 2007
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PAGE 5Dec. 12, 2007 NEWS
Mercyhurst College Applied
Forensic Science professor Dr.
Stephen Ousley proves the dead
do tell tales.
Ousley, along with Dr. Richard
Jantz from the University of Ten-
nessee, developed a program usedby almost every forensic anthro-
pologist around the country and
many throughout the world.
The program, FORDISC, de-
signed by Ousley and Jantz, is used
to help identify decomposed bod-
ies or skeletal remains. FORDISC
has helped countless forensic
anthropologists solve murder and
missing people cases.
So many people go missingevery year, said Ousley. The
program answers the question
Who is this? or What type of
person is this?
FORDISC, now in its third ver-
sion, was first originally launched
in 1993.
It was Dr. Jantzs idea, said
Ousley. There was definitely a
need for something like this at
the time we started designing theprogram.
Ousley said FORDISC is an
interactive computer program
used to distinguish the race and
sex of an unidentifiable body us-
ing measurements of bones.
The program has been used in
solving forensic cases, identify-
ing the remains of victims of
Hurricane Katrina, the Vietnam
War and World War II, accordingto Ousley.
Ous ley never imagined
FORDISC would be used in so
many different ways.
Forensic cases are what the
program was originally envisioned
for, said Ousley. But its use has
gone far beyond that now.
Ousley used the program at
the Smithsonian Institute where
he worked for 10 years. The
program helped him identify and
return the bones of Native Amer-
icans that had been in museums to
their rightful descendents.
FORDISC also acts as a teach-
ing tool at Mercyhurst as well as
other colleges.
This program shows how
statistics can be used to help
identify people, said Ousley.
The program applies all the stuffwe already know about human
variation to a particular forensic
situation.
Ousely, who specializes in the
statistical methods of looking at
human variations, explained that a
program like FORDISC makes it
easier for forensic investigators to
determine specific characteristics
of a person.
Often bodies are found bur-ied, decomposed and impossible
to identify visually, explained
Ousely. This program helps
anthropologists narrow down
the possibilities of who the per-
son is.
Currently the program esti-
mates sex, race and height, but
Ousley hopes to expand the
program to include age in the
near future.Ousley is using his expertise in
statistical variations of humans
to teach his first classes at Mer-
cyhurst.
Ive lectured at Mercyhurst
before, but I have never had my
own class before, said Ousley,
who is still adjusting to the term
system.
Ousley said he is glad to join
Dr. Steve Symes, a sharp forcetrauma specialist and applied
forensic science professor, and
Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat, a specialist
in forensic archeological recovery
and head of the applied forensic
science department.
Symes and Dirkmaat are very
well-known and respected in their
field, said Ousely. I just bring
another element to the depart-
ment.
By Casey GreeneManaging editor
Mr. Forensics
St. Marys Chapel at Mercy-
hurst Northeast decked the halls
for Christmas.
Candles and Poinsettia trees
twinkled behind the Mercy-
hurst College Concert Choirand String Quartet as they per-
formed their annual Christmas
concert.
On Tuesday, Dec. 11, the
choir performed under the
direction of Rebecca Ryan.
We were thrilled with the
attention and great love of the
audience, Ryan said.
They showed great devotion to
the art.
The Concert Choir has per-
formed a Christmas concert at
St. Marys Chapel for the past
eight years.
The audience consisted of
North East residents and Mer-
cyhurst North East students, as
well as the students families.
The choir featured a violin
solo by Ken Johnston.Johnston is the concertmaster
of the Erie Philharmonic and
played Bach at the concert.
The concert choir sang
Domine, Ad Adjuvandum Me
Festina by Il Padre Martni as
well as Vivaldis Gloria.
The Carpe Diem Chorale
featured Carol of the Bells,
Lux Arumque and Fum,
fum, fum.
Senior Melissa Heitzenrater
worked hard to prepare for this
concert.
She just finished student
teaching and faced the chal-
lenge of only attending five
or six rehearsals before the
performance.
It was a lot of hard work,
said Heitzenrater.It was challenging but fun.
Junior Patrick Silvis enjoyed
the festive atmosphere.
We have been preparing for
the concert since mid-October,
said Silvis.
I liked performing in such a
beautiful chapel.
Of his experience working
with Johnston, Silvis said it was
short and sweet.
By Merissa FrankOpinion editor
Mercyhurst College Concert Choir and String Quartet performed their annual Christmas
concert at St. Marys Chapel at Mercyhurst Northeast on Tuesday, Dec. 11.
Scoot Williams photo
Mercyhurst sings in
the holiday season
Professor creates database
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NEWSPAGE 6 Dec. 12, 2007
For many students, the winterseason in Erie is a time for
h i b e r n a t i o n a n d r e s i s -tance to snow-related activi-ties. However if you are an
avid fan of the white flakes,
joining Mercyhursts snowboard-
ing club may be your ticketto escape those winter blues.
Snowboarding PresidentMargaux Valenti said, The snow-boarding crew came together my
freshman year, the winter of2005-2006, when former andfirst President Pete Zawistoski
wanted a more snowboard-centered club, Valenti said.
We wanted more than a
Tuesday night ride to the localresortno offense ski club.
So all who felt the sameway banned together and made aplan for bigger and better. From
there we facebooked, got somerails, built some boxes, decidedon a yearly trip and became
a family.The snowboarding club travels
to Holiday Valley every Friday inJanuary and February.
A trip to Vermont is scheduledfor the first few days of spring
break in February.The expenses of snowboard-
ing club depend on how much
someone wants to be involved.Anyone who snowboards knowsits expensive, but to us its worth
it, Valenti said.
Holiday Valley charges $25 foran entrance fee and $150 for an
unlimited pass.We estimate the trip to Ver-
mont to cost $240 per person
for three days and three nights. We are trying to fundraiseto reduce the students cost,
she added.We will be sponsoring a
corn-hole tournament and
a snowboarding waxing day
to fundraise for a rail jam onDec. 15. We are also planning
another rail jam for the spring,said Valenti. The club also receives ben-
efits from the college throughsponsorship.
We a r e sponsored by
Rockstar Energy drinks and havea pro-form with Academy Snow-
board and Option Snowboards,said Valenti.
Pro-form means we are givenreally good deals on snowboard-
ing products, she added.S ophom or e J ef f H u l t -
gren said, I was able to get
sponsors by sending outemails, calling companies andI knew a few people who own
snowboard shops, so they
were able to give me thenames of some company
representatives.I grew up in New Eng-
land where winter sports are
the thing to do in the winter,so snowboarding has been a partof my life for about 15 years
now. I dont know how Id makeit through winter without it,said Hultgren.
I love snowboarding because
its a chance to get back tonature when everyone else is cud-
dled up inside with a blanket,said Valenti.
Member Chris Duval agreed.
I skied as a kid but gotbored with it quickly, so Itried snowboarding in sev-
enth grade and loved i t .It was new and different.
Unlike skis, tricks on a boardare endless, he said.
If you want to improve yourboarding skills but spent all
your money on Christmas giftshopping, put your worriesaside.
There is a park on campusby the Duval apartments andparking ramp that is in the
construction process and will
soon be open to any and all,said Valenti.
We have a Facebook groupthat we can be contactedthrough, she added.
For more information emailValenti at [email protected].
All you have to do is showyour interest, and pay youranticipated fees; its that simple,
Valenti said.
By Elizabeth MaierStaff writer
Winter sports take Hurst by storm
On a typical Saturday morning,the Carolyn Hermann StudentUnion is a desolate location
on campus. This past Saturday morn-
ing proved to be a different
story, especially for the children
of local agencies within theErie community.
Christmas spirit was present atMercyhurst College, in the formof an annual event known as
Christmas on Campus.
Darcey Kemp, advisor of the
event, said that there were morevolunteers and children overallthan in the past.
Kemp said this years eventwas very successful, with about115 children present from nine
local agencies, and over 300 stu-dent volunteers.
The volunteers had many dif-
ferent jobs, ranging from being a
buddy with a child for the day orhelping a club construct a certain
activity.Other volunteers dressed
u p l i k e f a v o r i t e m o v i e
and storybook characters to
provide entertainment for
the children.Sophomore and dress-up
volunteer Ian Michalski said his
favorite part of the event wasseeing the reactions of the kidsas they opened their gifts.
Another volunteer, soph-omore Emily Warren, saidthat she enjoyed seeing the chil-
dren get so excited about the
different activities. J u n i o r J e nna G o l d e n ,
an organizer of the event,thought that the event was ahuge success.
Everything went over really
well and all of the kids had a
great time, said Golden.It was really well organized
and the kids seemed to like their
presents, Kemp said.Kemp always enjoys watching
the children pair up with their
buddies.Its like they become fast
friends, she said.
It is what the children look
forward to all year, and eventhough it is about the agencies
and the children overall, theyalso have an extreme impact onthe students.
Sophomore Dinorah Sanchez
agreed. She said that she loved
the excitement from the activitiesand the big smile that the presentbrought to her buddys face.
One thing that surprised Kempabout this years event involvedthe children.
I was surprised that so manychildren made their own gifts forSanta during the activities. It was
really nice to see that they were so
excited about that, Kemp said.Golden said that even though
there was a lot of time andenergy put into the event, seeingthem smile made everything
worth it in the end.
By Julie HranicaStaff writer
Christmas on Campus a success
Police logView the crime map online at merciad.mercyhurst.edu.
Dangerous Weapons
Parking Lot 20Dec. 7Closed
Liquor Law Violation
3829 Briggs Ave.Dec. 9College Discipline
Controlled Substance
McAuley HallDec. 8Pending Investigation
Liquor Law Violation
McAuley HallDec. 9College Discipline
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NEWS PAGE 7Dec. 12, 2007
Symes investigates murder in N.J.
Mercyhurst College is solv-ing murder cases at leastt h e f o r e n s i c s c i e n c e
department is.D r . S t e v e n S y m e s i s
a professor in the forensic
science department and a
world-renowned forensicanthropologist.
Symes is not only lending hisexpertise to educate Mercyhurststudents but also to help solve
major crimes.Currently Symes is working on
around 20 unsolved cases.
Most recently, he is assistingin a case dealing with the murderof several college-aged victims in
Newark, NJ. The three victims were
k i l l ed by execut ion-s t y l e
shootings. Symes explained thatalthough the victims were killedby gun shots, chop marks were
also found on the bodies.For this reason, Symes ex-
pertise in sharp force trauma
makes him an asset to the case.I am examining several bones
from the victims, said Symes. Ialso was able to examine a toolthat is suspected to have beenused in the murders.
Symes explained that medi-
cal examiners are encouragedto have board certified forensicanthropologists available to assist
with cases.Symes is on the list of board
certified specialists and is often
called upon to work on cases allthroughout the country.
His expertise along with the
skills of Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat,
head of the forensic sciencedepartment, make Mercyhursts
forensic program unique.We are one of two grad
programs in the country with
two board certified staff mem-bers, said Symes of himself andDirkmaat.
According to Symes, Dirkmaatspecializes in archeologicalrecovery, or the recovery of
buried remains.While Symes works on a na-
tional level, Dirkmaat works
closely with the PennsylvaniaState Police Department on solv-ing more local crimes.
Together, Symes and Dirkmaatbrought in over 100 cases to theforensic department last year.
We average two cases a week, said Symes. Some are
just uncovered bones that endup not being human but we geta lot of real traumas too.
Students are often able to ob-
serve Dirkmaat or Symes and attimes even assist on cases.
Some evidence students are
not permitted to view, saidSymes. Others students may
observe and graduate studentscan even assist.
Symes explained that studentsare often able to travel to local
crime scenes and participate indigs and evidence recovery.
Students get a hands-on expe-
rience, said Symes. They arentjust stuck in a classroom.
Evidence from past cases ofDirkmaat or Symes allows stu-dent the opportunity to examinethe materials themselves and de-
cipher their own conclusions.It takes Symes a long time to
work through evidence and find
results.Im slow, he said. Ill look at
evidence, put it away for awhileand then look again and Imalso amazed at the new thingsI find.
By Casey GreeneManaging editor
Applied forensic science professor, Dr. Steven Symes not only uses his expertise in sharp
force trauma to educate Mercyhurst students, but to solve major crimes as well.
Scoot Williams photo
Interested in taking a CPR course?The Mercyhurst Student Government Health and Safety Committee is looking
for students interested in taking an Adult CPR/AED class. This class offers a basicRed Cross CPR/AED certification. The four hour class will be held sometime
in January most likely around 3 p.m. on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday and willcost 24 dollars. Please contact Chris Davis at [email protected] if you areinterested or have any questions.
Lecture of a LifetimeHurst TV will telecast The Last Lecture by Carnegie Mellon professor Randy
Pausch. Pauschs message after being diagnosed with terminal cancer has captivatedaudiences around the world. The first telecast is Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m.
-lakernet.mercyhurst.edu
laker briefs
SAC Presents: Midnight BreakfastHungry? Why wait? Satisfy your hunger while exploring the old fashioned diner
setting. Come to the Student Union for a quick late night breakfast, featuring foodssuch as bagels, coffee, hot chocolate and more.
There will also be an omelette bar. Be there, midnight at the Student Union.
Ho! Ho! Ho!Noted artist Fran Schanz, a 1971 Mercyhurst College grad, plays Santa to his alma
mater this year, installing his extensive collection of Santa Claus figures on the eastend of Old Mains first floor. Open for public viewing through Jan. 12.
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PAGE 8 Dec. 12, 2007FEATURES
Fun, trendy holiday gifts
Sirius radio systems offer dozens of channels static-free.www.sirius.com
Lug provides unique storage and more like this gym tote.www.lugproducts.com
Ebooks are the new way to
read a good novel without
having to drag around a
heavy book. Most can hold
more than one book on the
memory.
http://wiki.mobileread.com
Hunter wellies are the newest trend in cold and wet weather.Find tons of styles and colors online.
www.hunterboots.com
Be.ologys shirts for men and women spread positive mes-sages, words and thoughts.
www.beologyonline.com
Sticks and Stones creates customized alphabet pictures to spell names, phrases, or
inspirational words.
www.createsticksandstones.com
Lugs travel tags are a bright and colorful way to make luggage more recognizable.
www.lugtravel.com
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PAGE 9Dec. 12, 2007 FEATURES
Celebs control perfume marketBy Sandy WatroStaff writer
Paris Hilton capitalizes on perfume licensing.
http://univision.com
Sarah Jessica Parker created an affordable fashion line.
www.bittensjp.com
The celebrity licensing markethas always been huge and latelyit has experienced a growth inclothing lines, footwear andlets not forget the ever-expand-ing perfume market.
Its not like people such asBritney Spears and Sarah JessicaParker have enough money as itis. Instead, they proceed to signa contract, take a couple public-ity shots and slap their name ona cheap bottle of perfume.
Magically, they are bestowed with another fat check bymeans of virtually no work oftheir own.
This is no new trick though.Companies have been licens-
ing trademarks, products,names and characters sincethe mid 1980s.
Some Mercyhurst Collegestudents are not fooled by thecelebrity endorsements.
My college education hasinstilled personal values andbeliefs in me not to purchase
these products, as they relyon name or brand recogni-tion alone, said senior CesarOrdonez.The 80 billion-dollar industry
has been profiting from thelikes of professional sportsplayers to professional clubhoppers.
Paris Hilton not only makesher salary by appearing in
clubs worldwide; she also hasfive perfumes and a new menscologne.
Surprisingly, perfume is nother only genre.The heiress also currently has
agreements with a nightclubchain, a shoe manufacturer anda hair extension company.
However even though she
is not scientifically mixingthe chemicals to formulate aperfect perfume, her popularfragrances have increased theaffiliated companys sales by52 percent, reports the ParluxCompany.
I think fragrances that areendorsed by celebrities areridiculous, said senior AllisonGreep. The individuals them-
selves often have no specializedcontrol of the products charac-teristics; therefore, a consumeris virtually purchasing the sameproduct as they would at a retailchain such as Bath and BodyWorks.
Sarah Jessica Parker has alsomade her mark in the cash cowworld of licensing, in additionto a few other celebrities, at the
unlikely location of discountsportswear store Steve andBarrys.
Most recently she has startedup a line of ridiculously afford-able womens clothing, calledBitten.
Bitten features basics with aslightly trendy twist added tothe items.All of these pieces are priced
at $19.98 or below, whichis fairly cheap for the itemsoffered.As Parker profoundly states
in her lines motto, Fashion isnot a luxury, its a right.
Nonetheless there are down-sides to the low cost of thegarments.A brief inspection of the
clothing proved them to be notonly poorly sewn, probably by a4-year-old child in Bangas, butconstructed with poor qualityfabric.The saying, You get what
you pay for, comes to mind. Amanda Bynes and Venus
Williams also have lines at theestablishment.
Bynes line called dear by
Amanda Bynes is aimed towardyounger teens and includestrendy, colorful pieces alsopriced under $19.99.Williams line is called Eleven,
and includes sporty workoutgear as well as a small sneakersection.
Overall licensing can be prof-itable for the consumer andwell as the licensee.
However one must considerhow a pair of jeans can bemanufactured, shipped, taggedand displayed at retail locationsfor the extremely low price of$9.98.
In this arrangement, someonehas to be getting hurt and onecan be sure that it is not theendorsers of these massivecampaigns.
Harry Potters broom madehim fly and his golden snitchhad wings, but thats not stop-ping the magical game of Quid-ditch from coming to life in thereal world.
The popular game introducedin the Harry Potter series wassuch a hit with readers, collegestudents have begun to recreatethe sport on their campuses.
It all began with a smallgroup of Harry Potter fansfrom Middlebury College whothought that the game wascreative and fun.
Today, several teams havebeen formed and the firstannual Intercollegiate Quid-ditch World Cup was held,strictly following all of therules laid forth from the books,including wearing capes.This interesting new sport is
another example of the inter-national Harry Potter craze.
There is now even a Facebookgroup called the IntercollegiateQuidditch Association, gainingmembers daily.While initially possessing a
stigma for being a dork sport,Quidditch has surpassed ste-reotypes due to its imaginativetheme and ability to promoteexercise and physical fitness.
Quidditchflies tocollege
fields
By Jen GildeaFeatures editor
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FEATURESPAGE 10 Dec. 12, 2007
THE LAKER
Winter Term
Galley Grill
Lunch:M-Ham and Cheese on
CroissantT- Soft TacosW- Potato BowlTh- Turkey RubenF- Sizzle Salad
S- Southwest Burger
Board SpecialsLunch $4.75Dinner $5.50
Dinner:S-Laker BurgerM- Steak SaladT- Open Face Turkey SandwichW-Slice Of Pizza, 5 Wings
Th- Swedish Meatballs w/ NoodlesF- Chicken and BiscuitsS - Cup of Chili w/ Cheese, Side of
Nacho Chips
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sunday 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Look for New Menu Items!Mac & Cheese Bites Black Bean Burger
New Salads:Chicken BLT-Veggie(no cheese)-Spinach-Asian Chicken-
Greek-Caesar
Subconnection6 Sub $3.75 Combo $4.75
12Sub $5.75 Combo $6.75
Baja and Buffalo Chicken Subs:
6 Sub $4.00 Combo $5.25
12 Sub $6.00 Combo $ 7.00
Special FeaturesWrap combo-Veggie $5.59
other wraps $5.79
Wrap It Yourself- Veggie $3.99
other wraps $ 4.19
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Laker ExpressBoard Equivalency Available:
11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Board Specials
Lunch $4.75
Dinner $5.50
Look for Laker Express
Minute Meals!
Hours of Operation:
Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Friday 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday Closed
Charity is always worthwhile,but when children are hopingfor gifts under the familyChristmas tree, the Marines
have their backs. The Toys for Tots programbegan 60 years ago to help giveless fortunate children a morefulfilling Christmas.
In 2006 the U.S. MarineCorps Reserves delivered 19.2million toys to over 7.6 millionchildren.
Marine Staff Sergeant DavidEichenlaub, coordinator of
Toys for Tots in Erie, said thatfamilies are recommended bythe Erie County AssistanceOffice and Salvation Army.
We coordinate our effortsto help as many people in thecommunity as we can, saidEichenlaub.
Eichenlaub said Toys for Totshas the support of up to 200local businesses.
Anthony Eisenman, market-ing director for Iadeluca Chi-ropractic Center is proud to bepart of the tradition. Iadelucais a local business that supportsToys for Tots.
Its a great organization to beaffiliated with, said Eisenman.Any time we have the oppor-tunity to educate the public onchiropractic care, and help out
in the community at the sametime, we like to do that. Along with support from
businesses, schools, such asGeneral McLane and Har-borcreek High Schools, alsofundraise with money and toydrives.
Last year students at BelleValley Elementary School had acoin drive and raised two thou-sand dollars, Eichenlaub said.
Charity is also a theme thatcan be found at MercyhurstCollege.
Outlets are offered yearround through Campus Min-istry, including Emmaus SoupKitchen, Kids Caf and Habi-tat for Humanity.
Serving should not be sea-sonal, said campus minister Amanda Zechman. Need ispresent at Christmas, but is alsopresent in the summer during4th of July. Its important toserve year round, not just theholidays.
Senior Abigail McDonaldhopes to empower others byserving their needs and being
charitable. As president of Alternative
Break, a program where stu-dents perform home repairsin poverty stricken communi-ties, McDonald helps bringthe phrase, Charity begins athome, to life.
I have a responsibility assomeone more fortunateto help the less fortunate,
McDonald said. I see it as aform of equality to help themreach their goals.
Reverend Lyta Seddig agreesand points to the New Testa-ment translation of the Greek word agape, which meanslove.
When we truly love, we cometo the understanding of whatselflessness is all about, she
said. When we truly under-stand a person, that person willbegin to bloom.
Charity shows itself in manyways.
Its always nice to receive, butgiving seems to be even morerewarding.And when given with love, its
the greatest gift of all.For more information, visit
www.toysfortots.org.
By Carla HartStaff writer
Charity is a gift
that keeps giving **The Laker will be closed Dec. 19 at 3 p.m.and open again Jan. 3 at 8 a.m.**Happy Holidays Everyone!
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PAGE 11Dec. 12, 2007 FEATURES
Tis the season to be jollyBy Stacey MinchinStaff writer
Family. Christmas Trees.Presents.These are all things that you
might think about during theholiday season. As our Christmas break
quickly approaches, studentsbegin to make plans with theirloved ones at home and manylook forward to the numeroustraditions they have with theirfriends and families during theholidays.
Most students plan on goinghome, wherever that may be,
for Christmas break.Many are feeling pretty
excited for yet another break,and others cant wait for SantaClaus to come to town.
I am going to be home withmy family for the holidays,said senior Cole Salo. Everyyear, we have a small gatheringwith a few other families from
the area to celebrate the NewYear. I will be having a typicalChristmas with my family, butit is always fun and a great timeof the year for me to be homewith my loved ones.
People tend to like the Christ-mas season more than otherholidays because it makes them
feel all warm and fuzzy inside,yet others remind us of theGrinch, when they complainabout the chaos and long linesaffiliated with buying presentsat the mall.
Despite the Grinch-like char-acters among us and those whohate hearing Christmas songs,especially when they start play-
ing the day after Thanksgiving,most students look forward toChristmas and another newyear to begin.
Not only do students lookforward to spending somequality time with their lovedones as the holidays approach,families come together and thepartying begins.
The weekend before Christ-
mas my whole family getstogether at my aunts houseto bake all different kindsof cookies, said sophomoreKatlin Hess. Christmas Daymy family is all coming to myhouse to exchange gifts.
Unfortunately even thoughit is the holiday season, manyof you will still find yourselves
working away, trying to catchup after buying presents.Sophomore Kristen VanBu-
ren says even though she willbe working a lot during hervacation, she still remains inthe Christmas spirit becauseit is such an exciting time ofthe year.
My parents always have abig Christmas party where they
invite all their work friends andsome family, VanBuren said.This year I get to bring overmy friends, too. Its just basi-cally a social party with a lotof food and music. We havea pretty traditional ChristmasDay with waking up in themorning to open all the pres-ents and a big dinner, which is
always delicious.Family time is a commonthread among students holidaybreaks.
Senior Megan Shoup saidthat Christmas is one of theonly gauranteed times that herfamily will all be together.
No matter what, we all knowthat well be home for Christ-mas, she said.
CAFE DIEM
Mercyhurst Coee House
Located:
Main Floor Hammermill Library
Open
Sundays- Thursdays
6 p.m.-12a.m.
Monday-Friday
8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Closed Saturdays
Trebek has heart attack
LOS ANGELES - Longtime
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebekwas hospitalized Tuesday aftera minor heart attack, a spokes-
man for the game show said.Trebek, 67, was admitted to
Cedars-Sinai Medical Centerlate Monday night and wasexpected to remain there about
two days for tests and observa-tion, said show spokesman JeffRitter.
Thankfully it was a minorheart attack, Ritter said.
He d id not give otherdetails.A post on the official Jeop-
ardy! Web site said Trebekwas resting comfortably in aLos Angeles hospital and hewill be back in the studio forthe next scheduled tapings inJanuary.
His heart attack was firstreported by EntertainmentTonight.
The Canadian-born Trebekhas hosted the syndicated show
since 1984.He has won several daytime
Emmy Awards for his work andhas a star on the HollywoodWalk of Fame.
Trebek escaped a automobilecrash unhurt in 2004 whenhe fell asleep at the wheel,sideswiped a string of mail-boxes and wound up in a ditch,according to the CaliforniaHighway Patrol.
By Robert JablonAssociated Press
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PAGE 12 Dec. 12, 2007FEATURES
Food FixWithMegI
ERI
Get to know...
Nathan Ratkovsky
Casserole
Directions
Ingredients
Name: Nathan Ratkovsky
Year: Junior
Major: Elementary Education and Special EducationHometown: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Favorite thing about Mercyhurst: The girl-to-guy ratio,
and that the people here are so open.
Least favorite: The quiet hours assigned in the apartments.
You should be able to play your music as loud as you want.
Campus interests: Going out to the many activities on and
off campus and meeting new people.
Anything else interesting about you: I currently have a
degree back home. I am now double majoring and hopefully
will have three degrees when Im finished.
Pizza Pasta opens on State
Americans have grown tolove the classic favorites ofpizza and pasta.
Now, Mercyhurst Collegestudents need not look furtherthan Erie for both popularchoices.A new business has moved in
right around the corner fromMercyhurst College.
Pizza Pasta serves up Italianspecialties with Erie tradi-tions.
Owners Jeff Hayward and Ed
Kuziak opened Pizza Pasta onTuesday, Dec. 4.
Hayward brings the businessmind to the table while Kuziak
serves up a specialty straightout of the oven.
Prices are cheeper and wemake it taste great with betteringredients and taking pride inwhat we do, said Kuziak, whohas been in the food industry
business for seven years.Located at 3018 State Street,Pizza Pasta serves the obviouscombination of pizza and pastaalong with items including sal-ads, wraps, paninis, subs andcalzones like their Philly steakcalzone priced at $8.99.
Currently the best deal on themenu is a one large, one-top-ping pizza, 20 wings and a two
liter of pop for $17.99.Other options on the menu
include Smiths hot dogs andpepperoni balls that are re-
gional favorites.Fries, mozzarella sticks and
poppers are also on the menuas appetizers and can be pairedwith a burger or wrap.
Breaking away from tradi-tional hours of other pizzerias
in the area, Pizza Pasta be-gins serving Monday through Thursday at 11 a.m. through2 a.m.
On Friday and Saturday theeatery opens at 11 a.m. as well,but stays up and running until4 a.m. for those late night eat-ers.
On Sunday the hours are 11a.m. to 12 a.m.
Stop on by Pizza Pasta to pickup a menu or give them a call at455-4525 and make it your nextI Heart Erie destination.
By Shelley TurkStaff writer
Pizza Pasta serves up classic American favorites.Contributing photo
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast1 pound broccoli, cooked1 can cream of mushroom soup1 tablespoon mayonnaise1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup dry stuffing mix
1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.2.) Cook the chicken in a pan on the stove
and season it with salt and pepper. Make surethat it is cooked all the way through and that
there is no pink on the inside.3.) Cook the broccoli until tender.4.) In a small bowl mix the soup and the
mayonnaise together.5.) Layer the chicken, broccoli, soup and
cheese in a baking dish.6.) Sprinkle the dry stuffing mix over the
top and bake for 25 minutes.
Casseroles are a really greatway to feed a few people beforebreaking out all of the sweetslike cookies and pies. With the break coming up,
making a casserole would be atasty way to clean out the fridgeand have meals for a few days.This recipe contains broccoli
and chicken but it could easilybe made with any vegetableand meat.
If you have a bag of mixedvegetables, or if you just have
several kinds that you wouldlike to get rid of, just throwthem together to make thisrecipe your own. This casserole is very well
balanced and will provide youwith plenty of energy, while stillbeing extremely easy to make.
Luckily, there are almost al-ways leftovers that are going tobe just as tasty the next day andmake for a quick meal.
-Meghan Dolney
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13/24
White Noise, won the
National Book Award in 1985
and cemented Don DeLillos
reputation as one of the preemi-
nent postmodern writers of the
last half of the 20th Century.
The narrator and protago-
nist of White Noise is Jack
Gladney, a professor at College-
on-the-Hill in Blacksmith, an
uneventful small town. Glad-
ney is regarded internationally,
having creating the worlds first
Hitler Studies program.
Behind his reputation, how-
ever, lingers self doubt.
There is a Hitler conference
to be held in the spring; this
presents a problem because
Gladney, in a strange scholarlyirony, doesnt know German. He
hides himself behind dark classes
on campus so that no one can see
his fear and self-loathing.
He is on his fifth marriage to
a pleasant and plump woman
named Babette, and they spend
most of their time debating
which of them will die first. Four
of their combined seven children
live in their house, none with afull sibling.
One of the most interesting
characters in the book is Jay
Murray Siskind, a sportswriter-
turned-lecturer in the American
Environments Department. He
is what we might refer to as the
Pop Culture Department.
He teaches courses on car
crashes and other seeming
minute topics and wants to dofor Elvis what Gladney has done
for Hitler.
He is fascinated with the
waves and radiation projected
outward at society, television
commercials, radio jingles and
especially product information at
the supermarket, which he deems
a sacred place.
He makes most of the obser-
vations on the state of society
in the book; Gladney is too self-
absorbed for such a role.
White Noise is divided into
three parts. The first 100 pages
are dedicated mostly to explica-
tion and developing characters.
The second part is a transition
that leads us to one of the storys
two major conflicts. Heinrich,
sitting on top of the roof one
day, spots an amorphous black
cloud at the site of a tanker
wreck.A cloud of the chemical Nyo-
dene D., which is reported to
cause symptoms ranging from
hand clamminess to dj vu to
tumors and paralysis, starts drift-
ing toward town. The family is
forced to evacuate, but on the
way Jack has to get out and refill
the car, exposing himself to the
airborne toxic event for two-and-
a-half minutes. The third part of White
Noise is a turn inward. Jack
becomes more and more
obsessed with his own mortality,
constantly getting checkups with
his doctor and discovering that
trace amounts of the pathogen
are in his body.
Likewise, Babette too has been
consumed with the fear of death,
so much so that she has secretlysigned up to be the single experi-
mental victim of a psychological
drug called Dylar. To receive the
medication, she agreed to sleep
with the project manager twice a
week in a seedy motel.
Jack, with the help of Murray,
begins to realize their neurosis
and, without spoiling the ending,
tries to do what he can to solve
the problem. Implicit in the
obsession with dying is DeLillos
assertion: rampant consumerism
and oversaturation in technology
has increased our fear of dying.
Because people identify them-
selves with the items they own,
there becomes a loss of identify
after death, in that they surely
cant take it with them, so to
speak.
Additionally there are few per-
manent family values; at times,children shuffle in and out of the
house to visit different biological
parents, and Wilder, the youngest
at two years old, is often nowhere
to be seen.
How then does DeLillo believe
one should construct reality?
Gladney tries to shield himself
from death by wrapping him-
self in Hitlers aura, reasoning
that some figures are larger than
death.
Heinrich, Gladneys teenage
doomsayer, boils feelings and
situations down to neurons and
synapses firing and misfiring.
Babette leans on technology and
medicine as her crutch.
Denise, Babettes oldest, inces-
santly plays the role of victim.
DeLillo seems neither to support
nor condemn any of these partic-
ular approaches, allowing readerstheir own subjective opinions on
the events as they happen.
The world for DeLillo
becomes an existential place:
life takes on only the meaning
ascribed to it, through individuals
and, perhaps on a higher hierar-
chical plane, through the media.
If I had to criticize the book in
any way, it would be regarding the
dialogue of Heinrich and Denise,
14 and 11 years old, respectively.
They simply appear too intelli-
gent. Also, the beginning of the
third section of the book drags
for 40 pages or so; Jacks obses-
sion with mortality is evident
much earlier in the book.Otherwise, I was really fas-
cinated with DeLillos integra-tion of pop culture, ethics, andmortality.
By Kyle King
Contributing writer
Delillo won the National Book Award for White Noise.
Contributed photo
Don Delillos White Noise in review
PAGE 13Dec. 12, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
tHeBuZz
DEC. 13. MercyhurstCollege Orchestra. APostcard from Italy.8 p.m. Walker RecitalHall.
DEC. 15. Lake Erie Bal-let presents The Nut-cracker. Warner Theatre,Erie, at 7 p.m.
DEC. 16. Lake Erie Bal-let presents The Nut-cracker. Warner Theatre,Erie, at 2:30 p.m.
DEC. 16. MercyhurstChoir Christmas Concert.A Season of Traditions,Mercyhurst College Per-forming Arts Center, at2 p.m.
Now through Dec. 21.Christmas Memories:Getting Home For TheHolidays. The StationDinner Theatre, Erie.
DEC 22. Gem City Jazz
at the Mall in Erie, from12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
DEC. 27. Daniel Caba-nillas. An Evening withDaniel Again. St. Georg-ess Catholic Church,Erie, at 7 p.m.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTPAGE 14 Dec. 12, 2007
Daniel Cabanillas, Director of
Liturgical Music and DesignatedSchool Official for InternationalStudents at Mercyhurst College,
will be featured in a concert atSt. Georges Catholic Church inErie.
The concert is titled AnEvening with Daniel Again,as it took place last December
as well, and it will take place Thursday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25. The music
will be followed by a cateredreception.
The concert is not intended
to be a Christmas or liturgicalpresentation but instead to be aspiritually uplifting performance
meant to inspire faith and love. With pieces spanning 400years, the concert will include, as
Mr. Cabanillas said, everythingfrom Bach to Bocelli.
The program holds a collage
of music, explained Cabanillas, with a mixture of classical,contemporary Christian, musical
theatre and pop music.The concert even opens with
country music provided by St.Georges folk group. Notablepieces to be presented include
Mariah Careys Hero, YoullNever Walk Alone, fromCarousel, and Rachmaninoffs
Vocalise, a piece originally written for cello whichCabanillas has skillfully adapted
for his voice. A full-orchestra comprised
of members of the Erie
Philharmonic Orchestra will playfor the concert. Instrumentalsoloists appear in the concert
on violin and cello.In addition to the classical
orchestra, a pop orchestra
comprised of local musiciansis included. Some pieces evencombine the two orchestras,
creating a really nice, magicalexperience, Cabanillas said.A full choir from St. Georges
choir will also appear. Sevensoloists are featured in theconcert, with Cabanillas as the
eighth and main soloist.Cabanillas was born in
Honduras and came to the
United States in 1993 for hisstudies.
He said he has always beena musician, and he studied ata conservatory music school
when he was young. He is also aMercyhurst College alumnus.
He initially began his
undergraduate work atDartmouth College buttransferred to Mercyhurst
after meeting Louisa Jonason,Director of the School of Music
at that time.He was also offered a musicscholarship for attendance at
Mercyhurst. Cabanillas has nowbeen at Mercyhurst for 14 years,and he said, This is home for
me.Cabanillass tenor voice has
been compared with those
of operatic masters AndreaBocelli, Luciano Pavarotti and
Jos Carreras.Although a fan of the classics,Cabanillas said that he likes all
kinds of music, and he alsoenjoys composing music.
In addition to his skill as a
singer, Mr. Cabanillas also playspiano, organ, guitar, and a littleviolin and flute.
By Sarah Mastrocola
Staff writer
Daniel Cabanillas will give a spiritually uplifting performance on Thursday, Dec. 27.Scoot Williams photo
Faculty member to inspire faith with concert
The Edinboro Hangout wasfull of fans of Stillframe Sky,
a local rock band, on Saturdaynight. The event was to support
the release of the bands newCD.
The area quartet released itsdebut album on Dec. 8 in front
of hundreds of loyal fans along with and some new fans. Thealbum, titled Old Habits Still
Die Hard, has a unique blendof styles and song structuresthat are to please the listeners.
The album opens with an
intro reminiscent of a live show;
chatter from the crowd, and they
move right into the nitty-gritty with a blues and classic rock-influenced instrumental intro.
Last Mistake, a crowdfavorite at any Stillframe Skyshow, kicks off the record with
powerful choruses, surrounded
by melodic, relaxing versesand a piano-infused bridge
and a classic, hardcore punkbreakdown.
Why Dont You Just Go
Blog About It reflects obviousinfluences from artists such asMotion City Soundtrack and
The Shins. A happy-go-luckyinstrumental arrangementclashes perfectly with social
commentary of a rather
vindictive subject.
Aunt Jemima is Running forthe Border, a song similar tothose on Brand News Deja
Entendu, picks up in much thesame fashion as Last Mistake. This track, however, features
two guitar solos straight out of
the 1980.A slower, more relaxing track,
One Day at a Time, again hasa sound practically identical toMotion City Soundtrack. A very
danceable song, One Day at a Time is a well-rounded songon the album, both lyrically
and musically, with just enoughexploration in both categoriesto set it aside from the common,
clich dance-punk.
Stillframe Sky brings out
an older song, a fan favoritemind you, and works out all thekinks to deliver a new version
of Over You. A departurefrom the sound of the rest ofthe album, Over You takes
a less-danceable approach to
songwriting, and focuses ondeep lyrics and variations in
drum patterns and guitar lines, which make this song trulypowerful.
The Number Ten, actuallytrack eight on the album, is amasterpiece of production and
songwriting. An instrumentalbreak just where it needs to bein this album relaxes listeners
before the final two tracks blow
their minds.
Letting Pride Burn, aStillframe Sky classic, is sureto grip audiences with the
soothing, yet powerful, voice Tyler Addison. A wide rangeof genres are incorporated in
this track, including punk, pop,
hardcore and indie rock.The band, devout Christians,
close the album out with a songof worship, For the Love ofa Savior. Like the rest of
the album, this track exploresthe musical influence of eachmember of the band.
Also check out the upcomingshows at the Hangout bygoing to myspace.com/
edinborohangout.
By Greg SummyStaff writer
Stillframe Sky, local band releases new CD
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2007
15/24
Stephen Colantti, a Mercyhurst
College Mary DAngelo School
of Music voice professor, will
make his debut as conductor
of the Mercyhurst College
Orchestra on Thursday.
Colantti said he is veryexcited about conducting the
concert because he normally
conducts opera concerts where
the conductor hides in the pit.
However at Thursdays concert,
he will be very visible.
The debut is really important
to Colantti, and he said that he
had the opportunity to work
with a really talented group of
students.They have done everything
Ive asked and more, Colantti
said. They are the ones who
actually make the music, and
they are making really beautiful
music so I am very excited for
them.
I think the audience will be
moved and excited and will go
out with smiles on their faces,
he said.
The program, titled A
Postcard from Italy, includes works by Rossini, Puccini,
Mascagni and Mendelssohn.
Colantti loves all of the music
on the program, but there is one
piece in particular that is special
to him.
Several years ago a guest
artist at the college told the
students that his job was to
show the audience why he
loved the music he played. I
think thats what well be doing
Thursday evening. That beingsaid, there is one short piece
that I think is very special. It
is called Chrysanthemums,
Colantti said.
Chrysanthemums, written
by Puccini just for strings, is
an elegy for someone who has
passed away.
Having been an operatic
tenor in my past, I really connect
with Puccini, said Colantti.
Mercyhurst College junior
Lisa Herring will play the flutein the concert. Her favorite
piece on the program is Italian
Symphony. It is an exciting,
but extremely challenging
piece, Herring said.
Senior music major Rob
Morrison will play principal
second violin in the orchestra
Thursday. Morrison is torn
among which piece is his
favorite.
He said, I guess I would
have to pick the Puccini piecebecause it reflects life and how
life really is, everything you go
through, good and bad. It is a
very powerful piece of music
and Im honored, thrilled and
glad to be playing it.
A Postcard from Italy will
be performed on Thursday at 8
p.m. in the Walker Recital Hall
at Mercyhurst College. It is free
and open to the public.
PAGE 15Dec. 12, 2007 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Instead of watching visions
of sugar plums dance in your
head while youre sleeping, you
can go and see them dance right
in front of your eyes.
The Lake Erie Ballet will
perform The Nutcracker
downtown at the Warner
Theater this weekend for its49th
annual production.
Directed and choreographed
by Lesley Bories-Scalise, the
Lake Erie Ballet Nutcracker is a
two-act ballet based on the story
by E.T.A. Hoffman that evokes
Christmas spirit through the
main character, Claras, dream.
However whether it was
actually a dream is up to you todecide.
The music by Tchaikovsky is
some of the most recognizable
classical music, especially around
the holiday season.
The Lake Erie Ballet
Orchestra will accompany the
dancers under the direction of
Bruce Morton Wright.
The dancers involved include
many from the Lake Erie Ballet
School and several of the
Mercyhurst Dance majors; nine
belong to the Lake Erie Ballet
Company.
Among those from Mercyhurst
include Sarah Klock as Chinese
soloist, Liz Clain-Stefanelli as
Spanish soloist, Bradley Wong
as the Nutcracker Prince, AlyssaAlger as flute soloist, and Alyssa
Marquez as Arabian soloist.
Students Amanda Johnson
and Amanda Fischer will also
perform as members of the
Lake Erie Ballet Company.
It is wonderful to get to be
involved in a performing venue
in which you get to dance with
people from the community,
and I am thankful that LEB can
provide that for dance majors
here at Mercyhurst, said junior
Lauren Stenroos, who will dance
the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in
Fridays school show and the
Snow Queen and Dew Drop in
the other shows.
Also a junior, Cassie Powers
will dance the Sugar Plum Fairyin Saturday and Sundays shows.
To be dancing the role of the
Sugar Plum Fairy is an absolute
dream. It is what inspired me
to dance and that childhood
memory is the underlying drive
in which I dance it today,
Powers said.
This is Powers and Stenroos
third year performing in the
Lake Erie Ballet Nutcracker
and both hope they are able to
inspire the audience the way
they were inspired when seeing
The Nutcracker as a child.
With auditions held back in
late August, the dancers have
rehearsed for the production for
over three months and are ready
to share the classic Christmastale with their audience.
The dozens of rehearsals
pay off as soon as you get to the
beautiful Warner Theatre. I am
just going to immerse myself in
the magic and dance away! said
Powers.
To many people the holiday
season just isnt the same without
seeing The Nutcracker. So
bundle up to come and support
fellow Mercyhurst students,
have visions of sugarplums, and
get into the holiday spirit.
For tickets call 452-4857.
Shows are Saturday at 7 p.m.
and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
By Jackie Koehler
Contributing writer
Lake Erie Ballet to perform The Nutcracker
Professor debuts as conductor of Mercyhurst Orchestra
By Nicole CerilliA&E editor
Stephen Colantti will make his debut as conductor of the Mercyhurst College Orchestra Thursday.
Scoot Williams photo
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8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2007
16/24
PAGE 16 Dec. 12, 2007OPINION
The Good
The Dance Team has anew dance. See it at thebasketball game Wednes-day.
This is the last weekbefore Christmas breakstarts.
See the Christmas treesin the Union before theyare taken down this week.
There is a new polarbear, Patches, at the Erie
Zoo.
The Bad
Ice in general is nota good thing. It is evenworse when it is coveringeverything from your carto the steps of your apart-ment.
We start classes againJan. 3rd, after just 14 daysof holiday fun.
The Ugly
One of the headlines didnot get printed last week.Whoops.
The writers strike inHollywood is affecting ourweekly television rituals.
Please e-mail any suggetions to
The GB&U is a compilation of
student opinions.
The Good,the Bad &
the UglyIf images of men in bright
orange jumpsuits, often clothedwith black hoods on their headsand escorted by U.S. Army
personnel are unfamiliar toyou, you have not been payingattention.
While this is more often thegarb of protesters rather thanprisoners they are too famil-
iar to represent the detaineesbeing held at Guantanamo Bay,Cuba.
Detainees are kept at the U.S.Naval base as judges determinethe future of habeas corpus in
the countrys highest court.The writ of habeas corpus in
Latin translates to holding thebody.Generally people in U.S. cus-
tody inside or outside of the
continental states are able topetition the court with the writof habeas corpus, thus ques-
tioning the governments abilityto detain the person.
When a petition is filed
against the court it is chal-
lenging the legitimacy of onesdetention.
In a case heard last weekbefore the Supreme Court thequestion of writ habeas corpus
arose in the format of whetherdetainees being held in Cubahave the right to question their
imprisonment.The Presidential Administra-
tion contends that, since detain-
ees are being held outside ofthe United States, they shouldnot be granted this right.
While a ruling cannot beexpected until June it is obvi-ous the right to file for habeas
corpus should be extended tothe detainees at GuantanamoBay.
It has been around five yearssince the first detainees, many
of whom are suspected affili-
ates of Al Qaeda, were trans-ported to the facility and have
remained.Many have not had contact
with family or with one another
and do not know the pendingevidence.
Evidence often stands as
classified material and thus athreat to national security.
In addition multiple detain-
ees have been held withoutknowing the charges that standagainst them and have been
unable to declare themselvesthrough a fair trial.
Of the 300 detainees that
remain in custody, the adminis-tration plans to pursue around70 to trial.
Treatment of the detaineesis not adequate to the GenevaConventions standards, as
these have been determinedas outdated and quaint byformer Department of Justice
Secretary Alberto Gonzales.However it must be noted
that the treatment they do
receive is better than our ownsoldiers are likely to get if cap-tured by the enemies in Iraq
and Afghanistan. The administration has
bypassed several other stan-dards of the Geneva Conven-tions by also referring to thedetainees as enemy combat-
ants rather than a prisonerof war.
Ultimately the decision to
determine the writ of habeascorpus runs deeper than the500 words expressed in this
column.
The decision is one of thelandmark court cases of our
lifetime and will determine thetreatment and judiciary pro-cesses for future wars and pris-
oners.Thus it should be upheld to
carry on the tradition of the
right to a fair trial, includingthe tradition of habeas corpus, which has so far been largely
unfair in the past five years.
By Ellen
KoenigStaff writer
After skimming the Opinion
section of the Merciad to findmy articles and to later tapethem to my bedroom wall, I
have recently asked myself isthis section of the paper nec-essary. Dont get me wrong, I
love nothing more than readingabout women with loose moralsand a predilection for strong
drink, but isnt there more to lifethan that?
Ive recently chatted with
my Senior Political Field Cor-respondent Kevin Oresickabout these very concerns Ive
addressed earlier and we are sty-mied on how to deal with this
tabloid section of the paper.After many heated argumentswe came to a consensus that the
best course of action would beto open the forum to you, the
people.To do this I am going to open
up a conversation on this topic
in my blog and please feel freeto give ideas on what you wantto see in future issues of the
Merciad. Until now Ive pigeon-holed myself into the realm ofthe political and philosophical,
but I think Im ready to growas a person and begin tacklingany issue, highbrow or low, that
comes my way.If you havent seen all the
advertisements throughout the
paper, to find the blog go tomerciad.mercyhurst.edu andclick on my name.
Both Mr. Oresick and I willbe pleased to address topics youbring to the forefront, and Mr.
Wilwohl would be thrilled toincrease traffic to his new andimproved Web site.
By KeithNemethStaff writer &political analyst
Utility of Opinion section
We recently got on the topic
of the differences between girland guy friendships. I will be thefirst to admit it; there is nothing
worse than when girls fight.For some reason, whenever
girls argue, we attempt to involve
as many of our other friends aspossible. This creates more con-flict because we all know that
That is not what happened atall and she made that up. Thisgoes on for a few days until usu-
ally one gives in and apologizes,even though she is not the oneto blame.
Guys seem to handle conflictsentirely different. Sorry girls,guys just do not seem to worry
about the ridiculous things aboutwhich we get mad. If a guy starts
talking to the same girl that his
friend was talking to, one mightbe mad for a while, but there
is no blown-up argument thatinvolves other guys.
If my roommate started talk-ing to the same guy I was or anex-boyfriend, she knows that I would not be happy. Ex-boy-
friends are just off l imits. Thatslike the rules of feminism.
Guys are different; they will
get into a fist fight, beat thecrap out of each other and then,five minutes later, Hey, do you
wanna go get something to eat?
The first time I saw that, I wasbaffled for 10 minutes as to how
they were already even on speak-ing terms like one did not justgive the other a black eye.
Girls love to hold grudges. Ifsomething happened a year ago,it can be brought up in future
arguments that is not evenrelated. I have to say that us girlscould learn a thing or two from
the laid back guys.
By MichelleLaSlavicStaff writer
Girls: Fight nicely, please
Habeas corpus, fair trial
-
8/6/2019 The Merciad, Dec. 12, 2007
17/24
Less cookies now, more effort at the gym
With the age of Facebook,
keyboard cell phones and instant
messenger, it strikes me that our
generation is beginning to see
a decay of the social skills that
our parents generation has.
We find ourselves checking
Facebook more often than our
e-mail for a message or a new
friend request. I am a guilty par-
ticipant of using Facebook to
find out information. It is far
too convenient to send a text
message to someone than to be
stuck in an awkward conversa-
tion in which you are forced to
tell cheesy jokes to carry a con-
versation that ultimately has a
simple point.Can you remember a time
before Facebook and cell
phones when you were forced
into proper mannerism to talk
to the girl on whom you had a
crush? It took giant heart to talk
to someone to find out about
him or her on a personal level.
It was then when they found
out that you could not say the
perfect line when you did nothave 10 minutes to think of a
response. These conversations
allowed you to tell the one you
were attracted to about yourinterests or your first love.
The simple explanation is
that we are subjects of our own
environment. We act in a cer-
tain way because it is the social
norm; using technology has
become the social skill of the
next generation of Americans. I
find that with alcohol involved I
might have the ability to aban-
don technology, be a man and
simply talk. Truth be told, sober
we all might lack the ability to
abandon technology. Is there
any way to reverse our genera-
tions new social norm?
Probably not. We can start
to make a conscious effort to
be more like adults and not use
technology.
When we find ourselves ina situation that might call for
a standard phone call, follow
through on it. When you have a
curiosity about a member of the
opposite sex just initiate conver-
sation, do not revert to Face-
book as a guide to what kind of
person they are.
Maybe eventually we can all
chant the lines of Mr. Timber-
lake: Ayo Im tired of usingtechnology.
OPINION PAGE 17Dec. 12, 2007
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The common phrase to
describe reality is that reality is
all perception. This is obvious
in making and imposing value
and significance to the material
world through ideologies.
This constructed reality of
most people determines how
they see the world and the type
of emotions they will feel.
One person may find their
family to be of most value, while
another may see their Xbox as
primary. If either of these is
lost, the individual in play may
be hurt.
Can this individual not see the
temporary nature of all things?
I believe this awareness of areality, that all things are sub-
ject to decay, scares us at times
because we recognize the severe
impact of this principle. We
concern ourselves with issues
to which we chose to dedicate
our time to, whether it be ofselfless or selfish nature. We are
not evolved enough to see our
world through a transcendent
lens, as our complex minds are
constantly reshaping our indi-
vidual realities.
Perhaps in the culture of
todays society we need to re-
vise our realities. This can be
done by experiencing another
reality or removal from the one
you have created for yourself.
Too many of todays actions are
concerned with preserving the
status quo that allows inequities,
such as the starvation of the
Third World, while we continue
our tremendous consumption.
It may not be what we see; so
much of reality is an unknown
and an idealistic view wouldnthurt us at a time of ruling real-
ism that governs our so-called
realities. Step outside of your-
self, empathize with the strug-
gles of others, calm the anger
when the winds of uncomfort-
able change blow through.It is time to broaden and
expand our scope and concepts
of reality instead of fighting to
stay inside of our boxes. Per-
haps seeing the world as a whole
living organism could help put
our lives into perspective, as
humans continue to carve up the
earth and deplete her resources
while we concern ourselves with
the realities that we have created
over time.
Break the bonds that con-
strict our minds, expand your
universe. Slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love,
fits our mission statement, yet
maybe not a certain view of a
constructed reality.
Live through experience and
think about the reality wevecreated through our actions that
exists today because precedents
we choose to set determines our
future as a global organism.
By Jerrod
MarkleStaff writer
The phenomenon of reality and change
By Bill
SwaffordStaff writer
Tired of technology
It occurs religiously every
year around this time. No, not
the outrageously long lines
at department stores, not the
mailing of holiday cards or the
wrapping of presents; rather,
I am talking about the abnor-
mal crowds constantly plaguing
the REC beginning right after
Thanksgiving break, just as theChristmas cookies start popping
out of everyones ovens and into
our mouths.
I dont have a problem with
people wanting to work out
and get in shape. Heck, Im a
strong believer in breaking a
sweat and all the health benefits,
both mental and physical. How-
ever as a regular, all-year-round
gym-goer, I despise returning
to school after breaks, knowing
that I will be forced to wait for
the slower, often inexperiencedperson feeling guilty about the
thousands of extra calories he
or she took in over Christmas,
the New Years resolution-er or
the I-want-to-get-skinny-for-
spring break-er.
I come to the gym to get away
from the hectic world of crazy
Christmas shoppers, long lines,
traffic jams and piles of home-
wor